Woman injured in random stabbing attack at Taipei's Shipai MRT Station

Taipei, April 15 (CNA) A woman is in police custody after she allegedly randomly stabbed a female passenger on a train platform at the Taipei Metro's Shipai Station, causing non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said on Tuesday.

The Taipei Police Department said it received a report about a stabbing at 5:50 p.m. and dispatched officers to the station.

Upon arriving, officers found the victim fully conscious with stab wounds on her back and shoulder, and transported her to a local hospital, the department said.

Police sources said the victim, a 42-year-old woman surnamed Chen (陳), was sitting in a seat on the train platform when a 40-year-old woman, surnamed Lin (林), stabbed her in the back with a knife, leaving a 2-3 centimeter wound.

Lin was then quickly restrained by a station security guard and members of the public and was later turned over to the police and taken to Shipai Police Station for questioning.

According to the sources, Lin and Chen did not know each other, and Lin's unclear mental state after the attack made it impossible to quickly establish a motive.

A photo distributed by the police showed that the weapon used in the attack was a small paring knife, the kind commonly used to cut fruit, with a metal blade and a green plastic handle.

Following questioning, Lin will be turned over to prosecutors on suspicion of causing bodily harm under the Criminal Code, police sources said.